The AIA chapter presented Jericho-based Baumgarten with this prestigious award -- the result of a juried competition-- for renovations of skilled nursing units used by short-term rehabilitation residents at the Boro Park Center for Rehabilitation and Health Care. The project was done in association with Icon Interiors Inc., of Brooklyn.
The award was presented at the AIA Long Island chapter's 48th Annual Awards Celebration on Jan. 9 at the Oheka Castle in Huntington, N.Y.
The Archi award program recognizes projects conceived by Long Island chapter members that have been constructed all over the world and AIA members from other chapters who have contributed excellence in design to the Long Island region. The 2012 competition received 80 entries in 11 different categories.
The jurors, design-oriented individuals not from Long Island, praised the project for its disciplined design approach.
"It is very rewarding for our work to be recognized by our peers," said John W. Baumgarten, whose firm has been a major player in the design of healthcare facilities throughout the tri-state area for many years.
The winning "design theme took its inspiration from the physical movement of therapeutic activities, featuring sweeping arcs and curves," he said, adding, "Aesthetic balance was achieved by juxtaposing a rectilinear geometry across ceilings, column plasters, and wall panels. Artwork and accent panels add a visual "pop" to neutral walls, which were purposely muted so as not to compete with the geometric floors. Earth and wood tones strike a warm, natural chord contributing to overall design harmony."
Kenneth Rozenberg's Centers for Specialty Care Group, a network of nursing homes in the northeast, owns the 354-bed rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility at 4915 10th Ave., Brooklyn. Rozenberg acquired the former not-for-profit facility in 2010 from the Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center.
About John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C.
Founded in 1997, John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C., has developed design expertise in the corporate, senior care, healthcare, education and commercial markets. They are specialists in the master planning of complex, phased projects and provide an integrated approach to architecture, interiors and engineering. For more information visit www.jwbarch.com